Russia cutting poultry imports

Russia will cut poultry imports to 10-15% of its consumption in 2012, reports state. However, it will not stop them altogether.

Reuters reports that this statement was made by a powerful Russian poultry breeders lobby.

President of the lobby, the Russian Poultry Breeders' Union, or Rosptitsesoyuz, Vladimir Fisinin, said that it is not planned to get rid of imports altogether. "We are aiming to have 10, maybe 15% of imported meat, the types we do not produce in sufficient quantities."

Turkeys, ducks and geese

Fisinin went on to say that Russia was aiming to accelerate breeding turkey, ducks and geese.

Poultry self-sufficiency

First Deputy Prime Minister Viktor Zubkov, who is in charge of agriculture, said this month the country was aiming to achieve self-sufficiency in poultry meat and pork by 2012.

In 2009, Russia plans to raise poultry meat production to 2.5 mln t from 2.3 mln t (2008). Imports this year are set to fall to 27% of the total consumption of 3.45 mln t from 36% last year, Fisinin said.

This will apparently be achieved through a cut in an annual tariff quota by which the country regulates its imports by 300,000 t to 952,000 t in 2009.

Fisinin said Russia aims to increase poultry output by another 200,000 t in 2010 and by 150,000 t in the 2 following years. Total output should reach 3 mln t by the end of 2012, he added.